Sunday, July 28, 2013
Military Chaplain in Trouble for Offending Atheists
A chaplain at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska was ordered to remove a religious column he had written titled, “No Atheists in Foxholes: Chaplains Gave all in World War II,” because it allegedly offended atheists serving on the Air Force base.
Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes confirmed to Fox News that he wrote the original essay that appeared in his “Chaplain’s Corner” column on the base website.
Reyes recounted the origin of the phrase “There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.” Father William Cummings has largely been credited with uttering the phrase in Bataan during World War II.
President Eisenhower referenced the phrase during a speech to the American Legion in 1954, noting “I am delighted that our veterans are sponsoring a movement to increase our awareness of God in our daily lives. In battle, they learned a great truth that there are no atheists in the foxholes.”
Reyes ended his essay with a reflection on faith.
“Everyone expresses some form of faith every day, whether it is religious or secular,” he wrote. “Some express faith by believing when they get up in the morning they will arrive at work in one piece, thankful they have been given another opportunity to enjoy the majesty of the day, or express relief the doctor’s results were negative.”
Reyes did not attack or insult atheists or non-believers in his column.
However, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation accused Reyes of going on an “anti-secular diatribe” and publicly denigrating “those without religion.”
The Air Force agreed and approximately five hours after the MRFF complained, they removed the chaplain’s essay.
Duffy did not respond to an email requesting information on the specific Air Force policies that the chaplain's essay violated. Ironically, the Air Force left six complaints about the essay on their website.
Crews said the incident is yet another example of chaplains facing attacks for expressing their religious beliefs.
“Chaplains have religious liberty as well to speak to issues,” he told Fox News. “Mr. Weinstein appears to want to silence any speech of faith in the military. It is a sad day for the Air Force and for our country when officers obey every command from Weinstein to silence even chaplains from talking about their faith.”
Source
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
Won't see this in the main stream media will you?
The 1st Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press". It's interesting that the atheists can censor other people's idea. What are they so afraid of that they can't discuss an idea; that they must prevent anyone else from hearing things. This is the method that was used in the 60's (and is still used today) to prevent anything with which they don't agree.
One of the main functions of leftist atheists, and of the left in general, is to eliminate all opposing views. What that tells us is that even they have no faith in their positions and arguments. It is why they have zero tolerance for any ideas differing from their own.
Anyone who has a sound case welcomes opposing views which can serve to strengthen that case. Of course, opposing views can also prove you wrong, which is also good, since that's the best way to learn.
Atheists are vermin and should be eradicated as such.
"Won't see this in the main stream media will you?"
Nope, the MSM covers more important matters. Not insignificant things rightists whine about.
Anon 9:20.......more important matters! Right, like "The one's basketball picks, Moochelles latest hair style, Obama's two hundredth rehash of the same old lies (with the usual swooning by the main stream newsies, etc., etc., etc. More important stuff like that.
"...More important stuff like that."
If those things you mention are important to you, who am I to burst your bubble?
Terms like "faith" are deliberately misused to apply to both religious faith/belief and general everyday faith/belief. So that doesn't mean atheists have a religion called "atheism" as that is also twisting terms since "a-theism" means non-belief in gods and therefore the implied religion/s that goes with belief in God or gods.
A chaplain like anyone else has the right to be rude about atheists whether directly or in this implied way, but it is still a form of attack that reflects badly on his or her religious morals that he/she expects everyone to respect, while not having much respect for other people's "beliefs"/opinions.
Phooie on athiests im tired of us having to cow-tow to these self-centred wanks If they dont like it then why dont they just leave
So a chaplain writing in the “Chaplain’s Corner” column upsets an atheists? What was the idiot doing reading it in the first place?
So now christians are not allowed to mention god even in their own columns?
If you panty wetters are so offended by this, refute it or better yet put the paper down and read something else and leave the rest of us alone!
Anon 1:57
I dont think its misused at all. Both theists and atheists believe, they just believe in different things. Theists believe that god exists. Atheists believe that god does not exist. Since neither view can be proven, you must have faith to be either a theist or an atheist.
8:03 Atheists only have "faith" and "belief" if it's faith and belief in objective reasoning, and not wishful-thinking, childhood indoctrination or a form of psychological compensation under stress, which are the 3 main or usual causes of the religious mindset.
Post a Comment